Method and Apparatus For The Secure Dismantling Of Electronic Data Drives

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for efficiently dismantling hard disk drives, including a holder assembly to clamp a hard disk drive, a scanner that reads identification information of the hard disk drive. A chain conveyor belt indexes the hard disk drive to a position at which a logic board of the hard disk drive is peeled off and dropped into a bin, and to a position at which a lid of the hard disk drive is separated from a housing by way of a wedge, and indexes to a punch position at which magnets are punched in a direction from the logic board side of the hard disk drive. By separating and disposing the logic board and the lid, each hard disk drive is efficiently and securely dismantled.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation patent application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/574,925, filed Sep. 18, 2019, now U.S. Pat. No.10,860,009, issued Dec. 8, 2020. U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/574,925 claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.62/849,889, filed May 18, 2019 and U.S. Provisional Application No.62/849,890, filed May 18, 2019, the disclosure of all of theseapplications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND Technical Field

The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for securelydismantling or breaking down a hard disk drive.

Description of the Related Art

The background description provided herein is for the purpose ofgenerally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of thepresently named inventor, to the extent it is described in thisbackground section, as well as aspects of the description which may nototherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neitherexpressly or impliedly admitted as prior art against the presentinvention.

Hard disk drives (HDD) are used as the main storage device in computerdevices, which may be either stand-alone systems or part of a networksuch as data centers. Three-and-a-half inch drives, for example, arecommonly included in desktop computers, workstations, and servercomputers, as well as for mass storage in data centers. Smaller two anda half inch drives are commonly included in laptop computers. Variousother sizes of hard disk drives have been provided for various othercomputer devices.

Data centers currently widely exists as facilities used to housecomputer systems and associated components, such as telecommunicationsand storage systems. Data centers generally include redundant or backuppower supplies, redundant data communications connections, environmentalcontrols (e.g., air conditioning, fire suppression) and various otherequipment that may be used to operate and manage a carrier'stelecommunication network, provide data center based applicationsdirectly to the carrier's customers, provide hosted applications for athird party to provide services to their customers, or provide acombination of these or similar data center applications. With theincreased utilization of cloud computing, the number, functions, sizeand importance of large data centers are all increasing.

Partly the result of the above indicated increases, environmentalefficacy in the design and operation of data centers are routinelyscrutinized, and ongoing efficiencies in capacity, energy consumption,and operations are almost universally continuous improvement goals.

In addition, the current use of hard disk drives (HDD's) as data storagedevices in these and other applications are a crucial aspect in datastorage and recall. However, the use of disk drives poses additionalconcerns in their decommissioning, destruction or recycling in that thedestruction or incapacity of the information maintained data must alsobe secured. Data erasure (also called data clearing or data wiping) isnormally a software-based method of overwriting or otherwise renderingunrecoverable any electronic data residing on a hard disk drive or otherdigital media. Permanent data erasure goes beyond basic file deletioncommands, which only remove direct pointers to the data disk sectors andmake the data recovery possible with available software tools.

Consequently, decommissioning of HDD's typically requires physicaldestruction of electronic storage media in order to render it unusable.While data erasure is designed to remove all information and leave thedisk operable, in many instances the absolute destruction of these datastorage systems is desired, preferred, or required due to privacy,security or regulatory requirements (including, but not limited to, theGramm-Leach-Bliley Act (“GLBA”) 501 and the Health Insurance Portabilityand Accountability Act (“HIPAA”).

Various commercially available methods and devices intended to addressthese requirements offer only varying degrees of effectiveness. Industrybest practices, and expectations (and desires) of consumers generallyinclude electromagnetic methods (e.g., degaussing), and mechanicalmethods (e.g., crushing, or drilling). In some instances, no acceptablemethod of destruction currently meets the desired needs, resulting ininventories of obsolete HDD's waiting for a secure solution.

Typical methods and devices are known that physical destruct the HODdevice. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,251,303 issued in the name of Woznydiscloses a hard drive destruction system for destroying a memory device(e.g., a hard drive) having data stored thereon. The system has a grindchamber with a rotatable grind wheel positioned therein. A pressure armpresses the memory device against the grind wheel as the grind wheelrotates. The rotating grind wheel grinds the memory device intoparticles from which the data stored on the memory device cannot berecovered. The particles are collected in a receptacle adjacent thegrind wheel. The system may include a plurality of guides configured tomaintain the memory device in a substantially stationary positionrelative to the pressure arm as the grind wheel grinds the memory deviceinto particles.

This example typifies the physical destruction of HDD's throughgrinding, shredding or other types of comminuting. Such physicaldestruction continues to result in significant problems for whichsolutions are still needed. Maintaining chain of custody and proof ofdestruction or information non-recovery are issues with which to deal.Further, there have been few or any attempts to decrease environmentalcontamination or increase the recyclability of waste products resultingfrom the destruction of current HDD's. By way of example, and not as alimitation, the destruction and disposal of phones, computers and harddrives, known as electronic garbage or “e-Waste”, is the fastest growingtype of community waste. These metals may be toxic if released in anairborne particulate or a groundwater leachate form, and many rare earthand metals are non-renewable resources that cannot be efficientlyrecycled when comminuted or ground and commingled into a common wastestream. The current solution for much electronic trash is often to shipthe bulk mixed materials for processing in Asian and African countries,in some cases by children who must manually separate the materials,thereby creating exposure to dangerous toxins.

Subsequently, approaches have been applied which disassemble and recyclehard disk drives. Also, some approaches have been applied whichdisassemble and refurbish hard disk drives. U.S. Pat. No. 8,141,236describes an apparatus for removal of a mechanism retaining a cover of acomponent device. A drive mechanism drives a plurality of retentivemechanism removers to unscrew cover screws retaining the cover of thecomponent device. U.S. Pat. No. 9,275,677 describes a hard disk drivetop cover removal tool. U.S. Pat. No. 8,863,372 describes another harddisk drive top cover removal tool.

Also, hard disk drives include magnets that contain rare earth minerals.U.S. Pat. No. 9,095,940 describes a system and method for recyclingmagnetic material. The system includes a positioning mechanism thatdefines a recess to receive and locate the end-of-life product, theend-of-life product including a waste magnet, a separating station toseparate a portion of the end-of-life product containing the wastemagnet from the rest of the end-of-life product, and a transport stationthat receives the portion of the end-of-life product containing thewaste magnet from the positioning mechanism. GB 2487656 describes amethod of removing one or more rare earth magnets from the assembly thatincludes exposing at least one or more selected rare earth magnets tohydrogen gas.

In some cases, the hard disk drives may contain confidentialinformation. In such case, it is desirable to remove the hard diskdrives in a manner that prevents the data from being picked up,comprehended, or used by an outside party. An approach to preventingconfidential data from being obtained from a hard disk drive has been toshred the platters. U.S. Pat. No. 8,851,404 describes a method andapparatus for destroying data on a hard drive having at least oneplatter on which data is stored. The platters are shredded while leavingthe hub unshredded.

Also, a hard disk drive may be serviced by non-destructively removingits top cover. U.S. Pat. No. 6,886,234 describes a method for removing atop cover from a disc drive without subjecting the disc drive to shockand without damaging the disc drive components. A wedge is driven withsufficient force to break the gasket bond between top cover and base. Atop cover holder holds onto the top cover and removes it from the base.

It is thus an object of the present invention to provide an improvedmethod and apparatus for destruction of e-Waste hardware.

It is another object of the present invention to provide for suchdestruction of e-Waste hardware in a manner that minimizes noxiousenvironmental contaminants.

It is yet another objection of the present invention to provide for suchdestruction of e-Waste hardware in a manner that maintains a verifiableand documented chain of custody and proof of destruction or informationnon-recovery.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such amethod and apparatus particularly adapted for use in the decommissioningof data center data drives.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a methodand apparatus for use in the decommissioning of data center data drivesthat satisfies privacy, security or regulatory requirements withoutgrinding, shredding or other types of comminuting.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a methodand apparatus for use in the decommissioning of data center data drivesthat results in the separation of HOD components in a manner that allowsfor reduced recycling cost and overall efficiency.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a methodand apparatus for use in the decommissioning of data center data drivesthat results in waste streams that are redistributable as sustainableengineered resources.

It is still another objection of the present invention to provide forsuch destruction of an e-Waste in a manner results in the materialstream being capable of being entirely recycled.

It is preferable in an improved method and apparatus for secure disposalof electronic data drives that the hardware data drive be disassembledin a manner that allows for major components to be separated intoseparate material streams. Inventoried hard disc drives that areselected for disposal should be conveyed in a manner that allows for astandardized, oriented presentation and conveyed in into an automateddisassembly sheer in which the major componentry may be disconnectedwithout drilling, grinding, or other operation that would significantlycause commingling of materials of differing makeup.

Upper and lower covers, frame, motors, magnets, actuators, platterassemblies and printed circuit boards (PCBs) are removed from each otherin a manner that will allow for separation and diversion of each of themajor components in an automated manner absent significant personnelmanipulation. Once separated, each of the major components may bediverted for recycling in more efficient and cost effective manner thanif the materials from these components would be ground or otherwisecomminuted and then blended or mixed together. The hard disk driveplatters are the circular disk on which magnetic data is stored, andgenerally a plurality of platters are mounted on a single spindle motor.It is preferable in an improved method and apparatus for secure disposalof electronic data drives that the platter assemblies themselves beseparated from the spindle motor and subsequently isolated. It ispreferable in an improved method and apparatus that for the securedisposal of electronic data that only the separated, isolated plattersthemselves be treated for information destruction or informationnon-recovery in a manner that maintains a documented chain of custody.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to separatemagnetic material from hard disk drives with high throughput. It isstill another object of the present disclosure to separate parts andcomponents of the hard disk drives with high throughput in a manner thataccumulates materials for recycling.

Therefore, a need exists for methods of destroying a hard drive thatensure data stored on the hard drive cannot be retrieved that alsoallows the owner of the hard drive to maintain possession and/or controlof the hard drive at all times in a manner that decreases environmentalcontamination or increases the recyclability of waste products resultingfrom the destruction of current HDD's. The present application providesthese and other advantages as will be apparent from the followingdetailed description and accompanying figures.

SUMMARY

Aspects of the present invention include a method, apparatus and systemfor destroying a memory devices (such as a hard disk drives) having datastored thereon. The system disassembles major components of the HDD's inan automated manner and segregates these components into separate,selected material streams. Hard disc drives that are selected fordisposal are conveyed to an automated disassembly sheer in astandardized position and oriented presentation. The disassembly sheerseparates major componentry without drilling, grinding, or otheroperation that would significantly cause commingling of materials ofdiffering makeup. Upper and lower covers, frame, motors, magnets,actuators, platter assemblies and printed circuit boards (PCBs) areremoved from each other and diverted from each other in an automatedmanner absent significant personnel manipulation. Once separated, eachof the major components are then individually recycled in a manner thatoptimizes cost, operational and environmental efficiencies. The harddisk drive platters themselves are identified and isolated for securedisposal of electronic data and treated for information destruction orinformation non-recovery in a manner that maintains a documented chainof custody.

In an exemplary embodiment, a method of dismantling a plurality of harddisk drives is disclosed. Each hard disk drive including a housing, alogic board at a lower portion of the housing, and a lid at an upperportion of the housing, such that the housing, logic board and lidencase internal parts of the hard disk drive. The method includes, foreach of the plurality of hard disk drives clamping the hard disk driveinto a holder assembly; reading identification information printed on alabel of the hard disk drive by a scanner; indexing the hard disk driveto a position at which the logic board of the hard disk drive is peeledoff and dropped into a bin for holding logic boards; separating the lidof the hard disk drive from a housing of the hard disk drive; indexingthe hard disk drive to a position at which one or more magnets, asencased parts of the internal parts of the hard disk drive, are punchedin a direction from the logic board side of the hard disk drive toseparate the one or more magnets from the hard disk drive; anddispensing remaining of the internal parts of the hard disk drive into afinal parts bin.

In another exemplary embodiment, an apparatus for dismantling aplurality of hard disk drives is disclosed. Each hard disk driveincluding a housing, a logic board at a lower portion of the housing,and a lid at an upper portion of the housing, such that the housing,logic board and lid encase internal parts of the hard disk drive. Theapparatus including a holder assembly configured to clamp a hard diskdrive; a scanner that reads an identification information printed on alabel of the hard disk drive; a chain conveyor belt that indexes thehard disk drive to a position at which a logic board of the hard diskdrive is peeled off and dropped into a bin for holding logic boards; alid separating station configured to separate the lid of the hard diskdrive from a housing of the hard disk drive; the chain conveyor beltindexes the hard disk drive to a position at which one or more magnetsof the hard disk drive are punched; a magnet punching station configuredto punch the one or more magnets, as encased parts of the internal partsof the hard disk drive, in a direction from the logic board side of thehard disk drive to separate the one or more magnets from the hard diskdrive; and a final parts bin into which remaining of the internal partsof the hard disk drive are dispensed into.

The foregoing general description of the illustrative embodiments andthe following detailed description thereof are merely exemplary aspectsof the teachings of this disclosure, and are not restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete appreciation of this disclosure and many of theattendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the samebecomes better understood by reference to the following detaileddescription when considered in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 depicts a partial exploded perspective view of a hard disk drive(HOD) used for data storage according to the PRIOR ART;

FIG. 2 depicts a photograph of the HOD of FIG. 1 according to the PRIORART shown separated by segregated material types;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a disassembly sheer 10 for use with amethod and apparatus for secure disposal of electronic data drivesaccording to a preferred embodiment of the inventive system;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the disassembly sheer 10 of FIG.3;

FIG. 5 is a right side elevational view of the disassembly sheer 10 ofFIG. 4,

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a lower plate 12 for use therewith;

FIG. 7 is a right side elevational view of the lower plate 12 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of an upper plate 14 for use therewith;

FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view taken along Line A-A of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of a sheer die plate 32 for use therewith;

FIG. 11 is a right side elevational view of the sheer die plate 32 ofFIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a top plan view of an upper die shoe 46 for use therewith;

FIG. 13 is a right side elevational view of the upper die shoe 46 ofFIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a top plan view of a guide post 16;

FIG. 15 is a right side elevational view of the guide post 16 of FIG.14;

FIG. 16 is a photograph of a front view of a prototype of a disassemblysheer incorporating the teachings of the present invention;

FIG. 17 is a photograph of a rear view of the prototype of FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a photograph of a left side view of the prototype of FIG. 16;

FIG. 19 is a photograph of a front view of a sheer blade 23 for use withthe prototype of FIG. 16 through 18;

FIG. 20 is a photograph of the sheer blade 23 of FIG. 19 shownpositioned at an engagement configuration with a HDD 100;

FIG. 21 provides a flow chart for an improved waste material recyclingsystem for the targeted disassembly of data drive equipment forsubsequent secured destruction of magnetic data and recycling of sortedmaterials streams according to the present invention;

FIGS. 22A, 22B, 22C, 22D, 22E are diagrams of a typical hard disk driveand component parts;

FIG. 23 is a diagram of stations for dismantling hard disk drives intoparts in accordance with exemplary aspects of the disclosure;

FIG. 24 is a schematic diagram of a side view of an exemplary apparatusfor dismantling hard disk drives into parts in accordance with exemplaryaspects of the disclosure;

FIG. 25 is a schematic diagram of a top view of an exemplary apparatusfor dismantling hard disk drives into parts in accordance with exemplaryaspects of the disclosure;

FIG. 26 is a diagram of a hard disk drive pusher bar assembly;

FIGS. 27A, 27B and 27C illustrate a wedge for separating the lid fromthe housing in accordance with an exemplary aspect of the disclosure;

FIGS. 28A and 28B show a possible variation of the blade or wedge ofFIGS. 27A, 27B, 27C;

FIGS. 29A and 29B show a possible variation of a blade or wedge forseparating the lid from the housing by snapping off the screw heads;

FIG. 30 is a perspective of a section of the dismantling apparatushaving a laser guiding device in accordance with an exemplary aspect ofthe disclosure;

FIG. 31 is a diagram of a side view of an alternative apparatus fordismantling hard disk drives into parts in accordance with exemplaryaspects of the disclosure;

FIG. 32 is a block diagram of a control system for a system fordismantling hard disk drives into parts in accordance with exemplaryaspects of the disclosure;

FIGS. 33A, 33B, 33C are diagrams for a carousel feeder system forserving hard disk drives in accordance with exemplary aspects of thedisclosure; and

FIGS. 34A, 34B, 34C are detailed schematic diagrams of a top view, sideview and front view of an exemplary apparatus in accordance withexemplary aspects of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the drawings, like reference numerals designate identical orcorresponding parts throughout the several views. Further, as usedherein, the words “a,” “an,” and the like generally carry a meaning of“one or more” unless stated otherwise. The drawings are generally drawnto scale unless specified otherwise or illustrating schematic structuresor flowcharts.

Furthermore, the terms “approximately,” “approximate,” “about,” andsimilar terms generally refer to ranges that include the identifiedvalue within a margin of 20%, 10%, or preferably 5%, and any valuestherebetween.

As shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration, the presentinvention provides an improved method and apparatus for destruction ofe-Waste hardware in a manner that minimizes noxious environmentalcontaminants. In an example of the present invention, such a method andapparatus may be particularly adapted for use in the decommissioning of,for example, data center data drives. While more than 200 companies havemanufactured HDDs over time, currently the production and available ofcommercially used HDDs have been concentrated to just threemanufacturers today: Western Digital, Seagate, and Toshiba. Theestimated 2013 market shares are about 40-45% each for Seagate andWestern Digital and 13-16% for Toshiba. The form factor, hardwarecomponents and construction of any of these current HDDs according tothe PRIOR ART as exemplified in FIG. 1 are similar: a central frame; anupper and lower cover (enclosing the frame); two electric motors; aspindle motor (that spins the disks); an actuator or motor (thatpositions the read/write head assembly across the spinning disks); anexternal rotor (attached to the disks); stator windings (fixed inplace); a reach-write head (opposite the actuator at the end of the headsupport arm); thin printed-circuit cables (connect the read-write headsto amplifier electronics mounted at the pivot of the actuator).

As further shown in FIG. 2 according to the PRIOR ART, these individualmajor components each have a separate composition that, when segregatedindividually, can be easily reused or recycled in a manner thatdramatically increases the ecological and economic efficiencies, ascompared to existing methods of HOD destruction. By way of example thesematerial types may include:

-   -   Upper cover made of stainless steel;    -   LowerCover, also made of. stainless steel    -   Frame, or Housing, made of Aluminum    -   Actuator high-flux magnets made of neodymium-iron-boron (NeFeB,        or NIB)    -   Actuator axis made of permalloy (80% nickel, 20% iron)    -   Platter assembly made of Aluminum    -   Spindle Motor and heads made of aluminum (with impurities, or        “ramp” that can include Si, Mg, Ni, Zn, Pb, Cr, Fe, Cu, V, and        Mn); and    -   Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) of various materials (including        precious metals)

PCB's themselves are complex, multi-component integrated structures.However, when isolated by themselves, PCB's can be further separated andrecycled into various materials by otherwise existing systems andmethods. Table 1 below indicates generally the amount of waste frommultilayer printed circuit board manufacturing process. While it is notthe intention of the present invention to provide a process for suchdetailed deconstruction of the PCB assemblies themselves, the values andefficiencies that can be created by merely separating such PCB's in anisolated, automated manner and then subsequently processing them by anynumber of such methods is further improved and achieved in light of thepresent teachings.

TABLE 1 Amount of waste from multilayer printed circuit boardmanufacturing process Item Waste Characterization kg/m² of PCB 1 Wasteboard Hazardous 0.01~0.3 kg/m² 2 Edge trim Hazardous 0.1~1.0 kg/m² 3Hole drilling dust Hazardous 0.005~0.2 kg/m² 4 Copper powderNon-hazardous 0.001~0.01 kg/m² 5 Tin/lead dross Hazardous 0.01~0.05kg/m² 6 Copper foil Non-hazardous 0.01~0.05 kg/m² 7 Alumina plateNon-hazardous 0.05~0.1 kg/m² 8 Film Non-hazardous 0.1~0.4 kg/m² 9 Drillbacking board Non-hazardous 0.02~0.05 kg/m² 10 Paper (packaging)Non-hazardous 0.02~0.05 kg/m² 11 Wood Non-hazardous 0.02~0.05 kg/m² 12Container Non-hazardous 0.02~0.05 kg/m² 13 Paper (processing)Non-hazardous — 14 Ink film Non-hazardous 0.02~0.1 kg/m² 15 Wastewatertreatment Hazardous 0.02~3.0 kg/m² slurry 16 Garbage Non-hazardous0.005~3.5 L/m² 17 Acidic etching solution Hazardous 1.5~3.5 L/m² 18Basic etching solution Hazardous 1.8~3.2 L/m² 19 Rack stripping solutionHazardous 0.2~0.5 L/m² 20 Tin/lead stripping Hazardous 0.2~0.6 L/m²solution 21 Sweller solution Hazardous 0.05~0.1 L/m² 22 Flux solutionHazardous 0.05~0.1 L/m² 23 Microetching solution Hazardous 1.0~2.5 L/m²24 PTH copper solution Hazardous 0.2~0.5 L/m²

In light of the above objects and examples, an exemplary best mode forcarrying out the present invention in terms of its preferred embodimentare herein described as particularly adapted for use in thedecommissioning of, for example, data center data drives, and hereindepicted within the FIG. 3 through FIG. 20.

1. Detailed Description of the Figures

Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is important tounderstand that the invention is not limited in its application to thedetails of the construction illustrated and the steps described herein.The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced orcarried out in a variety of ways. It is to be understood that thephraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose ofdescription and not of limitation.

Referring now to FIG. 3 through FIG. 14, wherein like reference numeralsindicate the same parts throughout the several views, a disassemblysheer 10 for use with a method and apparatus for secure disposal ofelectronic data drives 100 is provided. The disassembly sheer 10 has alower plate 12 separated by an upper plate 14. The upper plate 14 isconnected to an supported above the lower plate 12 by a plurality ofguide posts 16. A receiving shoe 20 is positioned vertically to thelower plate 12 below a sheer die 22 supporting a sheer blade 23 andadjacent to a discharge orifice 24 formed within the lower plate 12. Thesheer die 22 is positioned above the discharge orifice 24, andreciprocates linearly vertically as urged by a first linear actuator 30.While the first linear actuator 30 is shown and depicted herein as beinga hydraulically driven cylinder, the selection of a hydraulically drivencylinder should be considered a design choice within the scope andfunction of the present invention, and it should be apparent to a personhaving ordinary skill in the relevant art, in light of the presentteachings, that other types of linear actuators (i.e. electric,pneumatic, roller screw, cam, wheel and axle, or other variations andtypes) should be considered equivalent in nature and function.

The sheer die 22 is supported in a dependent manner from a sheer dieplate 32 above the discharge orifice 24. As should be apparent in lightof the teachings and disclosures herein, the receiving shoe 20 isconfigured and position as a first disassembly stage, generally noted as40. The first disassembly stage 40 functions to separate the cover plate101 from the frame 102, as described in greater detail below. A seconddisassembly stage 42 is covered and positioned adjacent to the firstdisassembly state 40. The second disassembly stage 42 functions toremove a spindle motor 104 by driving a sheer punch 44 through a spindlemotor 104 of a data drive assembly that has been previously accessed byremoving the cover plate 101 in the first disassembly stage 40. Thesheer punch 44 is affixed in a vertically pendant position beneath anupper die shoe 46 that is driven by a second linear actuator 48. Whilethe second linear actuator 48 is shown and depicted herein as being ahydraulically driven cylinder of a similar design as the first linearactuator 30, the selection of a hydraulically driven cylinder should beconsidered a design choice within the scope and function of the presentinvention, and it should be apparent to a person having ordinary skillin the relevant art, in light of the present teachings, that other typesof linear actuators (i.e. electric, pneumatic, roller screw, cam, wheeland axle, or other variations and types) should be considered equivalentin nature and function.

2. Operation of the Preferred Embodiment

In operation for use with a method and apparatus for secure disposal ofelectronic data drives 100, a disassembly sheer 10 is provided in both aportable and an automated matter. It is felt that the manner of creatingportability for use in the on-site destruction and segregation ofmaterials, in light of the present invention, would be well within theskill of one knowledgeable in the art. As shown in conjunction with FIG.15-17, photographs of a prototype of a disassembly sheer 10 is shownwhich incorporate the teachings of the present invention. A data drive100 is positioned in a selected vertical position in the receiving shoe20, and beneath the shear die 22 and above the discharge orifice 24. Thefirst hydraulic cylinder 30 can then actuate in a first step, therebydriving the sheer die 22 downward and in which the supported sheer blade23 will selectively remove the frame 102 from the upper cover 101. Bybreaking the connectors securing the cover 101 to the frame 102, bothupper cover 101 and lower cover 103 become disconnected from the frame102 and can dispensed through the discharge orifice 24 formed within thelower plate 12. The frame 102 can then be conveyed and rotated to asecond stage where the remaining components of the data drive 100 ispositioned in a selected horizontal position at a second disassemblystage 42 in order to remove a spindle motor 104 by driving a sheer punch44 through a spindle motor 104 of a data drive assembly that has beenpreviously accessed by removing the cover plate 101 in the firstdisassembly stage 40. The sheer punch 44 is driven by a second linearactuator 48, resulting in the removal of the spindle motor 104 from theplatter assembly 105.

It is also felt that the manner of conveying an manipulating thematerial streams, as well as the segregation of the mechanicallydisassembled components, in light of the present invention, would bewell within the skill of one knowledgeable in the art. It is furtherfelt that the manner of automating the above described functions, inlight of the present invention, would be well within the skill of oneknowledgeable in the art.

As shown in conjunction with the photographs in FIG. 16-18, acombination in the operation of both the first disassembly stage 40 andsecond disassembly stage 42 may be combined into a single operationalmotion.

Referring now in greater detail to FIG. 19-20, the sheer blade 23 isshown in greater detail, and in position at an engagement configurationwith a HOD 100. The blade 23 is flat along a rear surface (not shown),and have a faceted front face in which an angular central facet 50 isbounded by a pair of swept back faces 52 forming an urging fulcrum 54along each seam. The base 56 of the central facet 50 is generally flatand is capable of engaging between the cover 101 and the frame 102 ifthe hard drive 100.

In operation, the data drive 100 is disassembled through strategicallyplaced mechanical forces, with the component parts being disengaged fromone another with limited die engagement steps.

The preferred method 400 for practicing the present invention is shownin the flow chart of FIG. 21. The disassembly shear 10 of the presentinvention is transported 402 to a location having access to hard drivesfor disassembly 404. The drives are conveyed to the first stage 406where the drives 100 are aligned vertically 408 and sheared at thecover/frame seam 410. The covers 101 can be discharged, diverted andseparated for recycling 412. The remaining frame 102 is conveyed 414 tothe second disassembly stage where is it rotated 416. The spindle 104can then be punched 418, causing separate of the frame, magnets, pattersand other components. The platter can then be processed for additionaldata destruction 420. The remaining disassembled components can then besegregated from one another through other material separation techniquessuch as, for example, screening, vibration, and various other methodswhich, in light of the present invention, would be well within the skillof one knowledgeable in the art.

Further aspects of this disclosure are directed to a hard disk driveparts separation apparatus and a carousel feeder system that separateshard disk drives into parts at high throughput and that implementscomputer implemented security measures to prevent the data on theplatters from being discovered.

FIG. 22A is a perspective diagram of a typical hard disk drive. A harddisk drive 2200 stores data on disk platters 2205, which are configuredin sectors and tracks. Sectors may be grouped into clusters. Duringformatting the starting and ending points of each sector are writtenonto a platter. Files are stored as blocks of bytes. A disk drive storesfiles based on a file storage structure, such as a file allocationtable.

Regarding FIG. 22A, a Hard Disk Drive (or HDD) 2200 may include ahousing (also referred to as a case, casing, or frame) 2209, a lid (orcover) 2211 on a top of the hard disk drive 2200, and a logic board 2203a on a bottom side of the hard disk drive 2200. The logic board 2203 a,also referred to as a circuit board or printed circuit board, includes amotor driver, SATA/ATA converter, controller, and a buffer. Thecontroller controls exchange of data between the hard drive and thecomputer, controls the motor, and sends commands to the read/writeheads. Firmware may be stored in a ROM and is the program that isexecuted by the controller. The logic board 2203 a is supported andgrounded by ribs 2203 b set below the logic board.

A disk motor (spindle motor) has an external rotor (spindle) 2207attached to the disk platters 2205. A head stack assembly 2213 ispivoted about a head stack bearing 2215. Opposite an actuator at the endof the head support arm is the read-write head. The actuator includes apermanent magnet and moving coil motor that swings the heads to thedesired position. In particular, a metal plate supports a squatneodymium-iron-boron (NIB) high-flux magnet 2201. Beneath this plate isthe moving coil, often referred to as the voice coil by analogy to thecoil in loudspeakers, which is attached to the actuator hub, and beneaththat is a second NIB magnet, mounted on the bottom plate of the motor(some drives have only one magnet).

Without the controller on logic board 2203 a and the firmware associatedwith the controller, the data stored on disk platters 2205 cannot beretrieved, comprehended, or used. Also, separating disk platters 2205from the disk drive renders the data on the disk platters 2205undiscernible.

Materials of the various components of hard disk drives can be reclaimedand recycled. FIG. 22B is a perspective view of a hard disk drive havingthe lid (cover) attached. The lid 2211 is mounted to the housing 2209 byfasteners 2221, which may include screws or bolts. FIG. 22C is a view ofthe logic circuit board 2203 a showing circuit components. FIG. 22D is atop view of the hard disk drive with the lid 2211 removed, exposing thetop magnet 2201, top platter 2205, spindle 2207, top of the head stackassembly 2213 and bearing 2215. FIG. 22E is a view of the bottom of thehard disk drive with the logic circuit board 2203 a removed. This viewshows the location of the spindle motor 2223.

FIG. 23 is a diagram of stations for dismantling hard disk drives intoparts in accordance with exemplary aspects of the disclosure. In orderto ensure securely dividing the hard drive into parts that may berecycled, an apparatus is provided that registers and tracks the harddrive that is to be dismantled and then separates the logic board fromthe hard disk drive and ensures security measures by tracking theremaining hard disk drive components through final dismantling. Theapparatus also separates the remaining hard disk drive components,including punching out the spindle 2207 and spindle motor 2223. Punchingout the spindle 2207 and spindle motor 2223 causes the hard diskplatters 2205 to separate from the spindle and fall off as theirindividual component pieces.

The disclosed apparatus may be arranged as stations which may performone or more functions associated with dismantling hard disk drives. Thelogic circuit is separated early on in order to render the disk plattersfrom being utilized for recovery of discernable data. Remaining stationsmay be arranged in various orders of operation without departing fromthe scope of the present invention.

Station 1 includes a feeder for supplying a hard disk drive into theapparatus. In some embodiments, the feeder may include an infeed chutethat drops a disk drive into the station. Although the apparatus isshown with a single path for handling hard disk dismantling, theapparatus is not limited as such. The apparatus may also be arranged asparallel paths for handling multiple hard disk drives simultaneously.Station 1 may include a sensor to detect the presence of a hard diskdrive in the feeder. The sensor may be a laser sensor that detectspresence or absence of the hard disk drive at a specific position. Theapparatus includes a chain indexed conveyor belt. Upon chain index, thehard disk drive is clamped into a holder, such as a pusher bar assembly2301.

Station 2 includes a scanner, such as a bar code reader, for readinginformation on the hard disk drive such as the serial number (S/N) andthe manufacture number (M/N) of each hard disk drive. In someembodiments, the scanner reads the printed number or bar code of a harddisk drive as it is clamped into the pusher bar assembly 2301. Acustomer project database may be stored for a customer that includesserial numbers and manufacture numbers of the hard disk drives for thecustomer. The database may include serial numbers of hard disk drivesthat do not have confidential data and may not need to be dismantled.Information read from a hard disk drive being processed by the apparatuscan be used to inform the operation of the apparatus as it pertains tothe hard drive being processed. For example, certain hard drives may beejected and saved before being dismantled by the apparatus.

In one embodiment, a laser driven mechanism may be used to detect andmark a groove or gap that is located at a position where the lid 2211 ofthe hard disk drive meets the housing 2209 of the hard disk drive. Themarked position will be used in a later stage for aligning a blade toremove the lid 2211. In the embodiment, the laser driven mechanism maybe a laser marker of Keyence Corp. The laser driven mechanism may mark aside of the hard disk drive by forming a profile of a portion of a sideof the housing 2209 and the lid 2211 to detect the groove or gap locatedat the position where the lid meets the housing. The laser light islinear pattern that detects the elevation level of the housing, gap andlid along a plane intersecting at a direction that is perpendicular to aside of the housing. In an exemplary embodiment, the linear laser maydetect a gap of 1/300,000 inch as the location of the groove or gap, ata rate of about 3 times per second.

In another embodiment, a gap 2225 between the lid 2211 and housing 2209of the hard disk drive may be detected using a comb-like device havingfine flexible comb fingers. The variance in amount of bending among thecomb fingers can indicate the location of a gap.

A third station, Station 3, may be a section of the chain that is blank.The blank section may allow time for reading information from thecustomer database.

In Station 4, if the customer database indicates that the hard diskdrive does not require dismantling, for example because it does notinclude confidential data, a controller may send a signal to anactuator, such as a pneumatic cylinder, to activate a drop panel for thedisk drive to exit the machine through a chute C4.

Hard disk drives that are to be dismantled are firstly moved to Station5 where the logic board 2203 a is peeled from the bottom side of thecasting and dropped thru chute C5 into a bin for holding logic boards.The apparatus may peel the logic board from the bottom side by applyinga blade or a wedge. In some embodiments, the blade or wedge is made ofsteel, such as steel of type A2 to S7. In some embodiments, the wedge isa floating wedge, which may pivot about a pivot pin. The floating wedgemay include a relief at its tip so that as a hard disk drive comes intocontact with the wedge, the wedge floats into a position from below thecasting and into a direction upwards to just above the logic board 2203a to force the logic board 2203 a out of the lower area of the casting.

In order to simplify the removal of the disk platters from the remainingparts of the disk drive, the lid 2211 is removed. In some embodiments,the lid 2211 may be removed at the same station that peels the logicboard. In other embodiments, the lid 2211 is removed in a station afterremoval of the logic board so that lid removal can be separatelymonitored. In Station 6, as the chain conveyor belt is indexing, afloating wedge or blade removes the lid 2211 from the top side of thehard disk drive casing 2209. In some embodiments, the floating wedge orblade is moved to a height that was determined using the laser. Providedthe height of a gap/groove that had been detected by the laser, a signalis sent to a motor controller to move the wedge or blade to the detectedheight.

As with the wedge for removal of the logic board 2203 a, the floatingwedge or blade may be made of steel. The floating wedge or blade pivotsabout a pivot pin. The wedge or blade includes a slight hump proximateto the thick side that aids in shearing of screw heads off of the screws2221, or other fasteners, that hold the lid 2211 to the housing 2209.

In the next index after removal, a sensor detects presence of the lid inorder to determine if the lid has been fully separated. For example, thelid detection sensor may be a proximity sensor that detects presence orabsence of the lid. If the lid has been separated, the lid istransported down chute C6 into a bin for holding lids.

In Station 7, if the proximity sensor detects that the lid has not beenfully separated, hard disk drives that have failed lid removal areejected thru a chute C7, for example, by way of a pneumatic cylinder.Hard disk drives in which the lids have not been fully removed andejected thru chute C7 may be placed in a bin for holding partiallydismantled hard disk drives. In some embodiments, partially dismantleddisk drives may be reinserted in order to retry lid removal andcompletion of the dismantling process. In some embodiments, partiallydismantled disk drives may alternatively passed through a shredder orgrinder to destroy remaining parts or may have the lids removed byunscrewing screws holding the lid.

In some embodiments, a communications sensor, such as a near fieldcommunication (NFC) or Bluetooth low energy device (BLE), may be used todetect a security tag worn by a person, or other device forcommunicating the person's identify, clearance level, or authorization,in the vicinity of the apparatus to verify that they are authorized toapproach the apparatus or authorized to be present during operation ofthe apparatus. In these embodiments, a person may be assigned a securitylevel, and, for example, only persons at or above a particular securitylevel may be authorized to come within a predefined distance from theapparatus. For example, persons identified as having a confidentialclearance or above may have authorization to be within the vicinity ofthe apparatus. In some embodiments, persons may be identified by way ofcomputer-based face recognition. In addition to a communication sensor,the apparatus may include a camera system that has sufficient resolutionto detect the facial image of a person in the vicinity of the apparatus.

It is also possible for different persons or persons of differentsecurity levels to be authorized to perform different tasks on or inconnection with the apparatus. For example, certain individuals may bepermitted to perform limited operations with the apparatus, while othersmay be permitted to fully operate the apparatus. Also, certainindividuals may be permitted to perform maintenance on and/or clean theapparatus, but they may not be permitted to operate the apparatus.Certain permissions, such as maintenance and/or cleaning, may beauthorized to be performed only at times during which the apparatus isnot operating, is off-line, and/or when no hard disk drives are presentor in the vicinity of the apparatus.

When an unauthorized person or persons approaches within the vicinity ofthe apparatus, actions may be initiated, such as sounding an alarm,halting operation of the apparatus, and/or sending a warning message toa remote terminal. In other embodiments, one or a group of persons maybe assigned authorization to operate the apparatus, so that only thatperson or group of persons may approach the vicinity of the apparatus.The authorization boundary for the apparatus may be based on thecommunication range of the communications sensor, or may be a predefinedradius or distance that the communications sensor detects.

In Station 8 a motor knockout press punches the spindle 2207 and spindlemotor 2223 out of the hard disk drive. The press may include a pin andball screw driven by a servo motor. In some embodiments, the power ofthe servo motor is configured with a pressing force that is sufficientto punch the spindle 2207 and spindle motor 2223 out of the hard diskdrive. In one embodiment, servo motor and ball screw are capable ofpressing with up to approximately 20 or more tons of force. It has beendetermined that a high pressing force in pounds per square inch byreducing the diameter of the pin achieves the best results ineffectively removing the spindle motor 2223. In a preferred embodiment,the diameter of the pin is about half of the diameter of the spindle2207.

In some embodiments, a three platen die set may hold the motor knockouttool and an internal pivoting sub die set may be used to punch thereader head bearing. In one embodiment, a camera may focus on the headbearing and an identification of a center in an image of the headbearing may be used to move the head punch to a center position of thehead piece. The camera helps to accommodate for variation in headplacement. In a similar manner as with removal of the spindle motor2223, the diameter of the die pin is about half of the diameter of thehead bearing. With this diameter, a smaller motor that uses less energymay be used.

The motor and head bearings 2215 are dropped out thru chute C8 into abin for holding the motors and bearings 2215.

Magnets in hard disk drives may vary in the way they are attached. Insome cases, magnets are attached by screws. In other cases, magnets maybe attached to a plate. In Station 9 the magnet may be separated in amanner that accounts for any way that the magnet may be attached in thehard disk drive. The magnet may be removed without moving the disk driveapparatus from the position at station 8. The magnet may be detachedfrom the hard disk drive by lowering a bar to hold the hard disk drivein place and pushing two punch pins from underneath by a powered pressthat snap the magnet loose. A laser sensor may be included to checkwhether a magnet is stuck inside the press die and not properly removed.

In Station 10, as the chain conveyor indexes, internal items inside theremaining disk drive are loose and fall out into chute C10.

In Station 11, at the final index of the chain, the casting is removedfrom the pusher bar assembly using mounting cams and drops into chuteC11. A laser sensor may be used to check that the casting has beenremoved from the conveyor by checking the presence or absence of thecasting at a particular position.

The casting has the serial number and manufacture numbers and associatedbar codes posted on an outside surface. In some embodiments, as thecasting moves to the mounting cams, the hard disk drive is verified forcompletion of dismantling, for example by the bar code reader that mayagain read the bar code to verify and track the serial number of thehard disk drive that has been dismantled.

A queue area may be used to hold hard disk drives that are waiting to befed to the dismantling apparatus. The queue area may be located at anentrance to a feeder chute. In one embodiment, the queue area holds 15hard disk drives.

A loader assembly may be used to automate the feeding of hard diskdrives into the queue area. The loader assembly may include a feeder armassembly having a stepper motor driven ended belt actuator. The actuatorindexes a hard disk drive thickness per every index of the motor. Theindexing may be monitored by a sensor, such as a proximity sensor thatchecks for over travel. A pusher dog may traverse a belt to push eachdisk drive into the queue. Upon pushing a last disk drive into thequeue, the pusher dog will traverse to a home position to start a newfeed cycle.

FIG. 24 is a schematic diagram of a side view of an exemplary apparatusfor dismantling hard disk drives into parts in accordance with exemplaryaspects of the disclosure. FIG. 25 is a schematic diagram of a top viewof an exemplary apparatus for dismantling hard disk drives into parts inaccordance with exemplary aspects of the disclosure. The apparatus maybe constructed of aluminum frame for ease of maneuverability in a mobileenvironment, such as a truck. The apparatus may also include wheels ortracks to facilitate mobility of the apparatus. Feed arm assembly 2423feeds hard disk drives into a queue area by way of a pusher dog 2401.The feed arm assembly 2423 may be an aluminum beam housing a steppermotor belt actuator 2403 that indexes a hard disk drive thickness usinga sensor, such as a proximity sensor. The pusher dog 2401 traversesalong the feeder arm assembly by a belt driven by the belt actuator2403.

A queue area 2422 positioned below the feed arm assembly holds hard diskdrives waiting to be loaded onto the disk drive infeed of thedismantling assembly. In one embodiment, the queue area 2422 holds amaximum of 15 hard disk drives. The disk drives may be fed from thequeue by an infeed chute 2405.

A chain conveyor belt 2407 indexes thru stations and provides anadequate torque for the lid and logic circuit board removal. Theconveyor belt 2407 includes an unclamping mechanism for later unclampingthe casting. In some embodiments, the conveyor belt 2407 is driven by aservo motor at 9 inch index increments at a rate of about 1.5 secondsper index.

The conveyor belt 2407 indexes as a hard disk drive is dropped into apusher bar assembly 2201. Upon being dropped, a bar code reader 2202reads the serial number and manufacture number and compares to acustomer database. The conveyor belt 2407 may include one or more blankslots 2503 to incorporate a delay for reading from the customerdatabase.

Any hard disk drives that are determined not to be dismantled will bedropped by a drop table 2404 and exit through a chute C4. The drop tablemay be operated by a pneumatic cylinder. The conveyor belt 2407continues to index to bring a hard disk drive into a peeling blade orwedge 2505 that separates the logic board from the bottom side of thecasting at which point the logic circuit board is dropped thru a chuteC5.

The conveyor belt 2407 is again indexed to bring a hard disk drive intoa station for lid removal from a top side of the hard disk casting. Asthe conveyor 2407 is indexed, a floating blade or wedge 2506 removes thelid 2211. As mentioned above, the blade or wedge 2506 has a profile thatenables the lid 2211 to shear the heads off of screws 2221, or otherfasteners, that hold the lid 2211 to the housing 2209. In an exemplaryembodiment, the profile of the blade or wedge 2506 includes a hump thatwill force the lid 2211 to abruptly bellow and place a shear force justbelow the screw head that is sufficient to cut the screw at the screwhead.

The blade or wedge 2506 is floating such that it pivots about a pin. Theblade or wedge 2506 may be adjusted in a vertical direction by a steppermotor. In some embodiments, a height adjustment sensor may be used todetect the position of the gap 2225 between the lid 2211 and the housing2209 of the hard disk drive. The stepper motor may adjust the blade orwedge 2506 in conjunction with the height of the gap 2225 as detected bythe height adjustment sensor.

As the conveyor belt 2407 indexes out of the lid removal station, aproximity sensor detects lid presence. The removed lid is transporteddown chute C6. However, if the proximity sensor detects that the lid hasnot been removed, the hard disk drive having the lid is ejected at 2507through a chute C7 by a pneumatic cylinder.

The conveyor belt 2407 indexes a hard disk drive that is without a lidinto a press station 2409. The press station 2409 includes a servo motor2413 connected to a large ball screw 2411. In one embodiment, the ballscrew is capable of applying up to approximately 20 or more tons offorce. A three platen die set 2415 has a spindle motor 2223 knockouttooling and an internal pivoting sub die set 2508 mounted thereon forreader head bearing 2215 removal. The punched out motor 2223 andbearings 2215 drop out thru chute C8.

Head stack placement may vary among hard disk drives. It is preferableto automatically align a punch tool with the head bearing to accommodatefor the variations in head placement. In some embodiments, a camera maybe used to focus on the location of the head bearing 2215. The cameramay focus on the center of the bearing. The image taken by the cameramay be used to adjust the position of the punch tool by positioningmotors in a horizontal X-Y plane.

A magnet in the hard disk drive may be separated for purposes ofrecovering materials that make up the magnet, which includes rare earthminerals. The magnet may be separated from the hard disk drive bylowering a bar to hold the hard disk drive in place and raising a pairof punches that punch from underneath by a powered butt station press2509 to snap the magnet loose. The butt station press may include a partpresence sensor, such as a laser sensor, that ensures that a part of themagnet did not get stuck inside the die.

Remaining internal components of a hard disk drive will be loose and mayfall out as the conveyor belt 2407 indexes to position 2510 over a chuteC10.

The conveyor belt 2407 includes a declamping mechanism 2417 to unclampthe casting from the pusher bar assembly 2301 in order for the castingto drop into a chute C11. The declamping mechanism may be mounting camsthat force the casting out of the pusher bar assembly.

FIG. 26 is a diagram of a hard disk drive pusher bar assembly. Pusherbar assemblies 2301 are mounted to the chain conveyor belt 2407 inaccordance with servo motor index spacing. The pusher bar assembly 2301is a horseshoe shaped component having an inner spacing W between sidewalls 2605 that is wider than a width of a hard disk drive. In someembodiments, the distance between side walls is adjustable. In order tosecurely hold a hard disk drive, a pair of inner walls 2603 may bemounted to side walls 2605. The inner walls 2603 may be made of a hardrubber material that has a long life, but allows a hard disk drive to beclamped into the space between the side walls 2605.

FIGS. 27A, 27B and 27C illustrate an exemplary wedge for separating thelid from the housing in accordance with an exemplary aspect of thedisclosure. FIG. 27A is a side profile of the wedge. FIG. 27B is a viewfrom a front of the wedge. FIG. 27C is a perspective view of the wedge.It has been determined that forcing a blade between the lid 2211 and thehousing 2209 and simply cut the fasteners 2221 with the blade was foundto be unreliable. In testing various blade types, many of various typesof hard disk drives failed to be cut to separate the lid 2211 from thehousing 2209. Instead, it was determined that the head of the fastener2221, such as a screw or bolt, may more easily be sheared off by bendingthe center of the lid which causes a shearing effect on the fasteners2221. In particular, since in most hard disk drives, the lids are of aharder material than the screws, bending the center of the lid causes acutting or shearing effect on the screws.

The wedge profile as shown in FIG. 27A includes a beveled edge 2701 onan upper surface of the wedge 2506. The beveled edge may include a sharpcutting edge capable of entering the gap 2225 between the lid 2211 andthe housing 2209. To ensure that the edge of the wedge 6 does enter thegap 2225, the wedge 6 may be configured to float about an insertionpoint. The insertion point may include an adjustment rod sheave forincremental adjustment of wedge insertion angle. The wedge 2506 mayfurther include tapered beveled sides 603, similar to a bevel edgedchisel. It has been determined that a straight forward edge bladeresulted in variation of deflection over the width of the blade. It hasbeen determined that by reducing the width of the exposed forward bladeedge, the deflection force at the center of the lid 2211 substantiallyincreased. In some embodiments, the leading forward edge 2701 a is aboutone third of the width of the wedge 6. In turn, the width of the wedge2506 is at least the width of a hard disk drive.

The application of a wedge 2506 having tapered beveled sides 2703 tobend the center of the lid 2211 in order to cause a shear action on thefasteners 2221 was determined to effectively separate the lid 2211 fromthe housing 2209 on several hundred different types of hard disk drives.In addition, the wedge 2506 is preferably made of S7 steal for its shockresistance. The hard wedge of S7 steal was determined to be sufficientto divide the two softer materials of the lid 2211 and housing 2209,then bend the lid 2211.

The disclosure is not limited to the blade or wedge of FIGS. 27A, 27B,27C. Other approaches to bending the lid 2211 and shearing the fastener2221, such as a screw or bolt, may be used without departing from thescope of the disclosure. FIGS. 28A and 28B show a possible variation ofthe blade or wedge of FIGS. 27A, 27B, 27C. FIG. 28A is a perspectiveview of the blade or wedge. FIG. 28B is a front view of the blade orwedge. Instead of tapered beveled sides 2503, the upper surface 2603 ofthe wedge 6 may be curved or angled when viewed from the front as inFIG. 28B. Also, the upper curved surface 2803 of the wedge 2506 may beangled gradually upward toward the rear of the wedge 2506. The height ofthe beveled edge 2801 may be made small in order to enter the gap 2225between the lid 2211 and the housing 2209, and just begin to bend andapply a separating force. The upper curved surface of the wedge 2506 mayperform a majority of the function bending the center of the lid 2211 toseparate the lid 2211 from the housing 2209.

FIGS. 29A and 29B show still another variation of a blade or wedge forseparating the lid from the housing by snapping off the screw heads.FIG. 29A is a perspective view of the blade or wedge. FIG. 29B is afront view of the blade or wedge. Instead of the upper curved surface asin FIGS. 28A, 28B, a rounded cap may be mounted to the upper surface ofthe wedge 2506. With this configuration, as the lid 2211 moves up theside of the rounded cap 2903 it will bend at its center and cause thefastener 2221 to be sheared. A force exerted on the lid 2211 as ittravels over the cap 2903 will cause the fasteners 2221 to shear and thelid 2211 to separate from the housing 2209. The height and extent of therounded cap should be sufficient to shear the fastener 2221 after thewedge 6 has been inserted into the gap 2225.

A position adjustment sensor may be a sensor that is capable ofdetecting the position of the gap 2225. In some embodiments, theposition adjustment sensor may be a comb-like sensor that is configuredto detect differences in amount of bend in comb fingers. Fingers thatbend relatively more are considered as being outside of the gap 2225.One or more fingers that bend less may be considered as entering intothe gap, thereby detecting the location of the gap 2225. The detectedposition information may be fed to a stepper motor to adjust theposition of the wedge 2506. Another type of position adjustment sensormay be a laser profile measurement device. FIG. 30 is a perspective of asection of the dismantling apparatus having a laser guiding device inaccordance with an exemplary aspect of the disclosure. The laser guidingdevice 3001 may flash a laser beam 3003 to measure the profile of aportion of a side of the hard disk drive. Information of the location ofa gap/groove 2225 as detected from the profile is fed to a stepper motorto control the position of the wedge 2506. The laser guiding device 3001may be mounted at about Station 2.

In addition to the position adjustment sensor, the wedge 2506 may bemounted to a spring so that the wedge may compensate for variation inthe location of the gap/groove 2225. Upon impact, the spring may depressenough to allow the leading edge of the wedge to find the point of leastresistance.

FIG. 31 is a diagram of a side view of an alternative apparatus fordismantling hard disk drives into parts in accordance with exemplaryaspects of the disclosure. The belt conveyor belt 2407 in the aboveembodiments is arranged horizontal. In another embodiment, the conveyorbelt may be arranged at an angle such that hard disk drives are fed froma near ground level position and the final casting is unclamped at ahigher position for placing a partially dismantled hard disk drive in apress area station. Such an arrangement may allow for simpler feeding ofhard disk drives. In still another embodiment, the conveyor belt may bearranged at an angle such that hard disk drives are fed from a positionat a height of a feeding station and the final casting is unclamped atnear ground level position. Such an arrangement may allow simplificationof the dismantling process by removal of a feed chute and queue area.

FIG. 32 is a block diagram of a control system for a system fordismantling hard disk drives into parts in accordance with exemplaryaspects of the disclosure. A computer-based controller may controloperation of the hard disk drive dismantling apparatus. Thecomputer-based controller may be any desktop computer or amicrocontroller, with a minimum requirement that it can read and writeto a database 3205. The database 3205 may be as simple as a list or atable structure in a single file, a spreadsheet, or a more complexrelational database, depending on what format a customer is able toprovide. The database may be stored in a removable drive, such as aflash drive via a USB port, external hard drive, or may be storedinternally, after being transferred via communications hardware 3203from an external source. The computer system 3201 is configured toperform controller functions including obtaining and transformingreadings from various sensors, including a bar code reader 3217, one ormore part sensors 3219, 3221, including one or more of laser sensors,proximity sensors and a camera, and issuing control commands toactuators including motors 3215, dispensing flaps 3211 and pneumaticactuators 3213.

The software for the computer system 3201 may be stored in a ROM, orother non-volatile storage, and may be in the form of a C languageprogram, or a derivative language thereof, that is executed using anoperating system, such as Windows 10 or later, Linux, or otherUnix-based operating system. The computer system 3201 may include anyprocessor, such as an Intel processor or AMD processor, which is capableof performing these operating systems. In the case of a microcontrollerconfiguration, a controller operating system that is provided with themicrocontroller may be used. The computer system 3201 may be configuredwith an A/D converter and signal processing device for handing sensorsignals, as necessary.

FIGS. 33A, 33B, 33C are diagrams for a carousel feeder system forserving hard disk drives in accordance with exemplary aspects of thedisclosure. In order to handle high throughput that the dismantlingapparatus is capable of handling, a feeder system may be used toautomatically feed hard disk drives to minimize idle time. In addition,the feeder system may be accompanied by a customer database of hard diskdrives and an arrangement of hard disk drives that are identified in thedatabase. The arrangement is such that as each hard disk drive is fed tothe dismantler apparatus it is checked against the customer database inorder to account for the hard disk drives that are obtained from thefeeder system. Any missing hard disk drives that have not been fed fromthe feeder system may be flagged in the customer database, or providedin a report by the computer system 3301.

The feeder system may be configured as a rotating carousel feeder inwhich carousel stations 3311 rotate starting from a drive insertionposition 3303 to a feeder arm drive removal position 2423. In oneembodiment, each carousel station 3301 can hold up to 40 hard diskdrives and the feeder system includes 18 carousel stations, for a totalmaximum capacity of 720 drives. The carousel feeder system is preferablydetachable and transportable so that more than one carousel feeder maybe filled with hard disk drives. Each carousel feeder may include afold-away feeder table 2305 that may be used to load a row of hard diskdrives into a carousel station. Rotation of the carousel stations may beperformed by an electric motor 3107.

FIGS. 34A, 34B, 34C are detailed schematic diagrams of a top view, sideview and front view of an exemplary apparatus in accordance withexemplary aspects of the disclosure.

The above disclosure also encompasses the embodiments listed below.

(1) A method of dismantling a plurality of hard disk drives. Each harddisk drive including a housing, a logic board at a lower portion of thehousing, and a lid at an upper portion of the housing, such that thehousing, logic board and lid encase internal parts of the hard diskdrive. The method includes, for each of the plurality of hard diskdrives clamping the hard disk drive into a holder assembly; readingidentification information printed on a label of the hard disk drive bya scanner; indexing the hard disk drive to a position at which the logicboard of the hard disk drive is peeled off and dropped into a bin forholding logic boards; separating the lid of the hard disk drive from ahousing of the hard disk drive; indexing the hard disk drive to aposition at which one or more magnets, as encased parts of the internalparts of the hard disk drive, are punched in a direction from the logicboard side of the hard disk drive to separate the one or more magnetsfrom the hard disk drive; and dispensing remaining of the internal partsof the hard disk drive into a final parts bin.

(2) The method of feature (1), in which the identification informationincludes a serial number and a manufacture number, further includingupon reading the serial number and the manufacture number, checking adatabase to determine if dismantling is not to be performed for the harddisk drive and removing the hard disk drive from the holder assemblywhen it is not to be dismantled.

(3) The method of features (1) or (2), in which the indexing the harddisk drive to a position at which a lid of the hard disk drive isseparated further includes checking via a sensor whether the lid hasbeen fully separated and removing the hard disk drive from the holderassembly when the lid has not been fully separated.

(4) The method of features (1) to (3), in which after the logic boardhas been peeled off and dropped, the identification information of thehard disk drive is again read by the scanner and compared to theidentification information read before the logic board had been peeledoff.

(5) The method of features (1) to (4), in which the separating the lidof the hard disk drive from the housing of the hard disk drive includeschecking a location of the gap between the lid and the housing via aposition detection sensor, and moving the hard disk drive into a wedgepositioned at the checked gap between the lid and the housing, causingthe lid to bend, approximately at its center, as the hard disk drivemoves further pass the wedge, and the wedge causing the bent lid toshear fasteners holding the lid to the housing to separate the lid fromthe housing.

(6) The method of feature (5), in which the position detection sensor isa laser marker, the method further comprises checking the location ofthe gap by marking a side of the hard disk drive with the laser markerand forming a profile of a portion of a side of the housing and the lidto detect the location of the gap.

(7) The method feature (6), in which the wedge includes a springconfigured to compensate for variation in the location of the gap bydepressing and allowing the wedge to adjust to the location of the gap.

(8) The method of features (1) to (7), in which the one or more magnetsof the hard disk drive are punched in a direction from the logic boardside by a pair of punch pins.

(9) The method of features (1) to (8), further including focusing acamera to locate a center position of a reader head bearing of the harddisk drive; removing the reader head bearing from the hard disk driveusing an internal picoting sub die in accordance with the located centerposition.

(10) The method of features (1) to (9), in which the dispensingremaining parts of the hard disk drive includes dropping loose internalcomponents of the hard disk drive; and removing a casting of the harddisk drive from the holder assembly using cams.

(11) The method of features (1) to (10), in which before the clamping ahard disk drive into a holder assembly, the hard disk drive is fed froma queue holding a plurality of hard disk drives.

(12) An apparatus for dismantling a plurality of hard disk drives. Eachhard disk drive including a housing, a logic board at a lower portion ofthe housing, and a lid at an upper portion of the housing, such that thehousing, logic board and lid encase internal parts of the hard diskdrive. The apparatus includes a holder assembly configured to clamp ahard disk drive; a scanner that reads an identification informationprinted on a label of the hard disk drive; a chain conveyor belt thatindexes the hard disk drive to a position at which a logic board of thehard disk drive is peeled off and dropped into a bin for holding logicboards; a lid separating station configured to separate the lid of thehard disk drive from a housing of the hard disk drive by moving the harddisk drive into a wedge positioned at a gap between the lid and thehousing, the wedge causing the lid to bend, approximately at its center,as the hard disk drive moves further pass the wedge, and causing thebent lid to shear fasteners holding the lid to the housing to separatethe lid from the housing; the chain conveyor belt indexes the hard diskdrive to a position at which one or more magnets of the hard disk driveare punched; a magnet punching station configured to punch the one ormore magnets, as encased parts of the internal parts of the hard diskdrive, in a direction from the logic board side of the hard disk driveto separate the one or more magnets from the hard disk drive; and afinal parts bin into which remaining of the internal parts of the harddisk drive are dispensed into.

(13) An apparatus of feature (12), in which the lid separating stationincludes a position detection sensor checking a location of a gapbetween the lid and the housing, and a wedge positioned at the checkedgap between the lid and the housing, the wedge configured to cause thelid to bend, approximately at its center, as the hard disk drive movesfurther pass the wedge, and cause the bent lid to shear fastenersholding the lid to the housing to separate the lid from the housing.

(14) An apparatus of feature (13), in which the position detectionsensor is a laser marker that checks the location of the gap by markinga side of the hard disk drive and forming a profile of a portion of aside of the housing and the lid to detect the location of the gap.

(15) An apparatus of features (13) and (14), in which the wedge includesa spring configured to compensate for variation in the location of thegap by depressing and allowing the wedge to adjust to the location ofthe gap.

(16) An apparatus of features (12) to (15), in which the position atwhich one or more magnets of the hard disk drive are punched in adirection from the logic board side by a pair of punch pins.

(17) An apparatus of features (12) to (16), in which the wedge includestapered beveled sides and a forward beveled side forming an edge that isapproximately one-third a width of the wedge.

(18) An apparatus for dismantling a plurality of hard disk drives, eachhard disk drive including a housing with a lid, such that the housingencases internal parts of the hard disk drive including a platterassembly and a spindle motor. The apparatus includes a disassembly shearfor receiving a hard disk drive, of the plurality of hard disk drives.The disassembly shear includes a shear die that supports a shear bladeadapted to selectively remove the lid from the housing. The shear bladethe wedge includes tapered beveled sides and a forward beveled sideforming an edge. The shear blade causes the lid to bend, approximatelyat its center, as the shear blade into the hard disk drive, and causesthe bent lid to shear fasteners holding the lid to the housing toseparate the lid from the housing. The apparatus further includes aspindle motor punch to remove the spindle motor from the platterassembly.

(19) The apparatus of feature (18), further including an actuator foractuating the disassembly shear. The hard disk drive is positioned in aselected vertical position in a receiving shoe and beneath the shear dieand above a discharge orifice. The actuator is configured to actuate thedisassembly shear and drive the shear die supporting the shear bladeadapted to selectively remove the lid. The lid, the spindle motor andthe platter assembly are discharged into separate discharge orifices.

(20) The apparatus of feature (19), in which the actuator is a hydrauliccylinder configured to actuate the disassembly shear to drive the shearblade to remove a logic board from the housing and discharge the logicboard into a separate discharge orifice from the platter assembly.

Numerous modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to beunderstood that within the scope of the appended claims, the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.

1. An apparatus for separating a hard disk drive lid from a hard diskdrive housing of an assembled hard disk drive comprising: a track forsupporting and conveying the assembled hard disk drive to a lidseparating station; a shear blade mounted at the lid separating stationand adapted to selectively remove the hard disk drive lid from the harddisk drive housing, wherein the shear blade includes a wedge havingtapered beveled sides and a forward beveled side defining a blade edge,the shear blade suspended for movement relative to the track to align aleading edge portion of the forward beveled side with a seam defining aninterface between the hard disk drive lid and the hard disk drivehousing, wherein the shear blade causes the hard disk drive lid to bendapproximately at its center as the leading edge portion of the forwardbeveled side enters the seam, the forward beveled side initiatingbending of the lid away from the hard disk drive housing and the taperedbeveled sides guiding lid edges of the hard disk drive lid to drawinwardly, the hard disk drive lid shearing connecting fasteners toseparate the hard disk drive lid from the hard disk drive housing. 2.The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the shear blade is resilientlysuspended such that the leading edge of the forward beveled side ispermitted to move relatively between an upper surface of the hard diskdrive lid and the hard disk drive housing to enter the seam.
 3. Theapparatus of claim 2 wherein the shear blade is resiliently suspended bya spring configured to compensate for variations in the location of theseam by permitting the wedge to float relative to the track tofacilitate the leading edge to align with the seam.
 4. The apparatus ofclaim 1 wherein the leading edge of the forward beveled side isapproximately one-third of a width of the wedge.
 5. The apparatus ofclaim 4 wherein the tapered beveled sides are generally equal in lengthon opposite sides of the forward beveled side.
 6. The apparatus of claim5 wherein the tapered beveled sides form a sharp intersection with theforward beveled side.
 7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the taperedbeveled sides form a rounded intersection with the forward beveled side.